Napoli winger Lorenzo Insigne snubs Tottenham Hotspur and “agrees” personal terms with MLS side from Toronto
According to the Italian news outlet SportMediaset (h/t The Express), Napoli winger Lorenzo Insigne has accepted an offer from MLS side Toronto amid transfer interest from Tottenham Hotspur. It would deal a damning blow to Antonio Conte and his desire to add attacking options to Spurs.
Insigne will see his current contract expire at the end of the 2021-22 season. The Italian club could not meet his wage demand over a new deal as they offered only £3million per year. It paved the way for the MLS team to put in their proposal, which amounts to £8million-a-year.
The Italian has accepted the terms, and the contract has a length of five years which would be a great deal financially considering his age. He could also earn an additional £3.8million if the performance-related clauses are met. That means he would get £50million in total when adding the basic salary package and the add-ons.
Conte was keen to reinforce his attack, and Tottenham had identified the Serie A superstar as a potential target. His contract situation would have also benefited them were it not for this new update. He is very close to announcing this agreement as the January transfer window opens shortly.
Major transfer blow?
It seems like we have potentially lost out on a quality reinforcement who would have boosted our options in attack. However, we should take this with a pinch of salt unless we get confirmation from the player or the clubs themselves.
But it still seems unlikely that he would join us if he intends to accept the offer from the American side. At 30, he is nearing the twilight of his career with each passing year and offering a massive wage package to a player into his 30s is rarely ever a good idea.
This season, the 30-year-old has five goals and six assists to his name from 18 matches across all competitions. That indicates that he still plays at the top level and would have reinforced our attack as we are clearly lacking in our attacking depth.
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Son Heung-Min does not have a reliable backup option, and that would put us in a dangerous situation if he suffers an injury or gets a suspension. The recent draw against Southampton showed how some of our players were tired due to the congested fixtures. Adding more depth would help us in having a successful season.
So, even if we miss out on Insigne, it doesn’t mean we have to stop looking elsewhere. A player with similar experience, ability, and versatility should be eyed by our board if Conte really wants to strengthen up front. But it remains to be seen if we go down that road in January or next summer.
